Mexico's first urban cable car starts operating

Mexicable, the first cable car to be used as a public transportation option in Mexico, started operations on Wednesday.

The launch took place in the city of Ecatepec located in the state of Mexico, following an opening event attended by President Enrique Peña Nieto, state governor Eruviel Ávila and federal transport minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza.

Starting in 2014, construction of the Mexicable system was carried out by Mexiteleférico at a 1.7bn-peso (US$88.5mn) investment, combining federal, state, municipal and private sector funds, the state government said in a press release.

The ropeway's route runs from the town of San Andrés de la Cañada, located atop the Sierra de Guadalupe mountain, to the Vía Morelos road in the city of Ecatepec, reducing transport time to 17 minutes. The usual travel time by public bus used to be between 40 to 45 minutes.

Peña Nieto said the Mexicable will transport approximately 29,000 users daily, making it the largest of its kind in Latin America, according to local press reports.

The cost of a single ride will be 6 pesos, with service free during the first week of operation.

At the end of the line, on the Vía Morelos road, Mexicable will connect to Line no. 4 of the Mexibús system, which is currently under construction. From there, users will be able to transfer by bus to the Indios Verdes station of Mexico City's metro system.

The gondola system has seven stations: Santa Clara, Hank González, Fátima, Tablas de Pozo, Los Bordos, Deportivo and La Cañada, and is comprised of 190 cabins, each fitting 18 passengers, 8 seated and 10 standing up, according to the reports.